Hujambo, just want to start by saying thank you for viewing this topic.
I'm an American student currently traveling in Kenya with a group of other students. We arrived in Nairobi on May 11th and will be in Kenya until June 12th. While we are here, we will be doing research projects related to Kenya. My group's project is in regard to the current political climate leading up to the 2012 election, and the election itself. As part of our research, we will be conducting interviews with various people that we encounter during our trip. However, in-person interviews take a significant portion of time and we will only be able to reach so many people. We're only here for another two weeks and won't be able to reach all areas of the country. So, with that in mind, I would like to politely ask anyone who is willing to assist us in our research to respond to the questions of the survey I will post below as fully and completely as possible. I understand it may take some time for you to fill out, as it is a bit lengthy, but just answer as many questions as you can (if there are some questions you would prefer not to answer publicly, feel free to send me a private message with your responses). If possible, we would also like to ask that you provide some demographic information for us. Specifically, we would like to know, for any given respondent, what is your: tribal ethnicity, age, gender, place of birth, current location and, if you are comfortable, your full name, as we are required to record the names of any person whose opinions or comments we mention in our paper. All information you provide is strictly confidential to the four members of my group and our professor. Once again, thank you to anyone who is willing to participate; below you'll find the outline of our project and the survey we've developed.
Outline for Political Climate in Kenya/Election 2012 research project
• Introductory paragraph describing the purpose of the paper, what we will write about. Will outline the different parts of the paper.
• Give ethnic background of country (percentges, number of tribes, traditional rivalries, perceptions of different tribes).
• Background of political leadership in the country; how Kenyatta came in to power… how the Kikuyus have come to dominate the political stage.
• Voting system: percentage of the population that votes, demographic statistics, political activity in the country, urban versus rural voting, voting in NE province and other marginalized areas.
• In-depth review of the 2008 elections with a focus of how that election will affect this one… Will the results of that election only anger people more or will it make people weary of conflict come the next election?
• Major players in the 2012 presidential race and the political and tribal dynamics of these candidates.
• How will these ethnic differences play a role in the election?
• Will tribal differences contribute to post election violence? What are the factors that could lead to post-election violence? Why would they increase potential for violence? Why might they not play out in 2012?
• What are the expectations for the election? Do Kenyans expect it to be free and fair? Which would Kenyans prefer more: a free and fair election or an election that makes a member of their tribe president?
• Do Kenyans have faith in the campaign promises of their candidates? If the election is corrupt/promises go unfulfilled, how will it affect the potential for violence?
• How will more post-election violence affect the country as a whole?
• What is being done to counter the potential for more post-election violence?
• What else needs to be done?
• Wrap up and conclusion.
Survey
1. Which, if any, tribe in Kenya would you perceive as a political rival? 1a. If any tribe named, describe your perception of that tribe – what is the stereotypical [x] like?
2. What are your perceptions of the other tribes in Kenya, i.e., what is a typical person from tribe [x] like? Tribe [y]? Etc.
3. [For Kikuyu only] Would you ever vote for a non-Kikuyu presidential candidate?
4. [For other tribes] Would you vote for a Kikuyu candidate for president? Explain why/why not.
5. Are you involved in a political organization?
6. Do you participate in political activisim?
7. Are you planning to vote in the 2012 election?
8. Has the post-election violence of 2008 influenced your decision to vote in the coming election?
9. Do you believe that more violence between the Kalenjin and Kikuyu will ensue post-2012?
10. Do you believe that violence will erupt between tribes other than the Kikuyu and Kalenjin? 10a. If so, between which tribes and why?
11. What is the most important quality or characteristic you look for in a presidential candidate?
12. Does a candidate’s tribal ethnicity strongly influence your decision to vote or not vote for them?
13. What do you think are the critical factors, if any, that will decide whether violence will again break out after the 2012 election?
14. Why do you think variation in these factors could lead to more violence?
15. Do you believe that William Ruto must cede his candidacy to Uhuru Kenyatta in order to prevent more violence between the Kikuyu and the Kalenjin?
16. What are your expectations for the 2012 election, i.e., do you expect it to be free and fair, without corruption?
17. Which would you prefer more: a free and fair election or an election that makes a member of your tribe president?
18. Do you have faith in the campaign promises of your preferred candidate?
19. If the election is corrupt/promises go unfulfilled, how do you think it will affect the potential for renewed violence?
20. How do you think more post-election violence will affect the country as a whole?
21. Are you aware of anything that is being done to counter the potential for more post-election violence?
Any and all responses greatly appreciated! Asante sana!